Summary—Chapter 33: The Fate of Injun Joe
A party rushes down to the cave, unlocks the door, and
finds Injun Joe starved to death inside. He evidently has eaten
the few bats he could catch, used every candle stump he could find,
and made a cup out of rock and placed it under a dripping stalactite
to catch a spoonful of water a day. “Injun Joe’s Cup,” Twain informs
us, has since become one of the chief tourist attractions in the
cave.
The morning after Injun Joe’s funeral, Tom tells Huck
his theory that the gold never was in Room No. 2 at
the Temperance Tavern. Instead, he believes that it remains hidden
in the cave. That afternoon, the boys take a raft down to the place
where Tom and Becky exited the cave and crawl inside. Tom comments
on how much he wants to start a gang of robbers and use this part
of the cave as a hideout. The boys discuss how grand it would be
to be robbers and eventually reach the place where Tom encountered
Injun Joe.
Tom points out a cross that is burned on the wall of
the cave and tells Huck that this, not the tavern, must be where
the gold is hidden. Huck becomes frightened that Injun Joe’s ghost
could be lurking around, but Tom points out that the cross would
keep him away. Comforted by Tom’s words, Huck helps him search the
area. The boys find nothing and decide to dig under the rock. There
they find a collection of guns, moccasins, a belt, and the treasure.
The boys decide to leave the guns behind, reasoning that
they will be useful for their band of robbers in the future. They
drag the gold out of the cavern and put it on their raft back to
St. Petersburg. On their way to hide the treasure, however, they
encounter the Welshman, who insists that they accompany him to a
party at the Widow Douglas’s house. He sees the box they are lugging
but assumes they have been collecting old iron.
Summary—Chapter 34: Floods of Gold
Nearly every person of importance in the village has gathered
at the Widow Douglas’s house. While the boys change into nice clothes, Huck
tells Tom that he wants to escape out the window because he cannot
stand such a large crowd. Tom tells him not to worry. Sid comes
in and informs them that the party is being given in honor of the
Welshman, Mr. Jones, and his sons, and that Mr. Jones plans to surprise
everyone by announcing that Huck was the real hero. Sid then says,
in a self-satisfied way, that the surprise will fall flat because
he has already spoiled it. Tom yells at Sid for being such a nasty
sneak and chases him out of the room.
At the supper table, Mr. Jones tells his secret and everyone
pretends to be surprised. Widow Douglas then announces that she plans
to give Huck a home and educate him. Tom bursts out, “Huck don’t
need it. Huck’s rich.” Everyone chuckles at the joke, and Tom runs
outside and brings in the gold. Everyone is shocked. When the money
is counted, it adds up to over twelve thousand dollars.
